Means for handling roving of fiber material



April 9, 1963 Y. JUILLARD MEANS FOR HANDLING ROVING OF FIBER MATERIAL Filed June 14, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet l April 9, 1963 Y. JUILLARD 3,084,399

MEANS FOR HANDLING ROVING OF FIBER MATERIAL Filed June 14, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.3

April 9, 1963 Y. JUILLARD MEANS FOR HANDLING ROVING OF FIBER MATERIAL Filed June 14, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 United States Patent Ofi ice 3,084,399 Patented Apr. 9, 1963 3,084,399 MEANS FUR HANDLING ROVING F FEBER MATERIAL Yves Juiliard, Muihouse, Haut-Rhin, France, assignor to Societe Alsacienne de Constructions Mecaniques, Mulhouse, Haut-Rhin, France, a company of France Fired June 14, 19160, er. No. 35,929 Claims priority, application France June 26, 1959 8 Claims. (61. 19-457) This invention relates to the handling of slivers and/ or roves of fibrous material in the textile and related industries.

In various phases of the processing of fibrous materials continuous lengths of sliver or roving are fed out at relatively high speed from machines such as carding frames and are deposited and collected in receiver containers. Since each receiver can only hold a limited length of roving, it is necessary from time to time to break off the rove, remove the filled can (or other receiver) and replace the removed can by an empty one. This has generally necessitated stoppage of the high speed machine. While various means have been devised for the automatic replacement of the receiving cans in such a way as not to involve the stoppage of the delivery of roving from the high speed machine, such means have not proved fully satisfactory, more particularly by reason of the fact that the actual change-over of the delivery from one can to the next to be filled has required a substantial length of time to perform, with the result that it has not been possible, generally to fill each can to capacity.

It is an object of this invention to provide improved means for the handling of sliver, roving, and similar continuous lengths of fibrous material which will be free of the above deficiencies. A specific object is to provide means for simultaneously breaking oif a continuous length of roving or the like at accurately predeterminable points and switching its path of travel from one to another receiving station, so that the change-over from a filled to an empty receiving container can be efiected practically instantaneously. Additional objects are to increase the rate and eificiency of the output of fibrous materials in sliver and roving form, eliminate shutdown time, and reduce labour costs. Further objects are to provide a rovinghandling device of the above type which will be reliable and positive in action, will inherently maintain the roving handled thereby under uniform tension, and will additionally subject the roving to desirable transverse compression in two mutually transverse planes. Other objects will appear from the ensuing description.

The invention in one aspect comprises a device for handling a continuous rove of fiber, comprising a pair of first rollers defining a nip adapted to receive the rove therethrough, pairs of second rollers defining respective second nips either of which is adapted selectively to receive the rove therethrough at a point spaced from and beyond the first nip along the path of travel of the rove, means for rotating the rollers in directions to feed the rove along-said path and means for breaking off the rove in the space between said first and second nips, including means for switching the path of rove travel through said space from one to a selected other of said second nips.

In one embodiment, the device includes deflector surfaces extending from a point within the space between the first and second nips to respective points beyond said second nips, and the breaking means comprise a member movable across the path of rove travel ahead of said first point so as to break the rove and simultaneously shift the length of rove following the breaking point from one to another deflector surface and thereby switch the path of rove travel correspondingly from one to another of said second nips.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a simplified perspective view of a rove handling device according to the invention; and

FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5 are similar elevational views of the device at various stages of the roving breaking and switching operation.

Referring to the drawings, a system according to the invention and as shown in FIG. 1 comprises a first pair of cylindrical rollers 1 and 2, arranged with their axes horizontal, and two pairs of frustoconical rollers, including the pair of rollers 3 and 4 which are in contact along a common generatrix, and the pair of rollers 5 and 6 contacting each other along a common generatrix. The axes of the rollers 3 and 4 and the axes of rollers 5 and 6 define two oppositely inclined planes which intersect along a horizontal line contained in a vertical plane passing between the cylindrical rollers 1 and 2. The pair of rollers 1 and 2 define :a first horizontal nip and the pairs of rollers 3 and 4 and 5 and 6 define respective nips which are upwardly inclined and lie in a common vertical plane which is perpendicular to the vertical plane containing the horizontal nip.

A roving 10 is passed through a condensing funnel 8 into the nip between the upper rollers 1 and 2 (FIG. .1). then over a deflector member 15 or 16 into the nip between either the pair of frustoconical rollers 3 and 4, or the pair 5 and 6, as will be described later. All the rollera are driven in rotation through means not shown in suitable directions to advance the rove downwards there through, and at rotational speeds such that the linear velocity of the rollers 1 and 2 at the contact line 7 therebetween is equal to the linear velocity of the rollers 3 and 4 (or 5 and 6) at the point along the nip between said last rollers at which the roving passes between the latter .in'the naturally deflected condition of said roving, substantially as shown.

Means are provided for sharply increasing the tension of the roving section included between the upper and lower pairs of rollers in order to break the roving, and simultaneously switch the roving to the other of the lower pairs of rollers. Such means comprise, in the illustrated example, a rodlike member 12 having its lower end pivoted on a horizontal pivot 13' positioned in substantially the same vertical plane'as the common contacting generatrix 7 of the rollers 1 and 2. The tree upper end 12a of rod 12 is bent so as to extend horizontally, parallel to the axes of the rollers 1 and 2. The rod 12 is so dimensioned that as it is rotated about its pivot 13, its bent end portion 12a will pass through the travel path of the roving between the upper rollers 1-2 and the two lower pairs of rollers.

In order accurately to determine the point of breakage of the roving by the action of the rod section 12a, there is provided an anvil surface which, in the illustrated embodiment, is constituted by the upper portion 14- of the two deflector elements 15 and 16, said upper portions terminating, as shown, in a relatively sharp edge common to the two elements. The system described operates as follows:

The roving 10 enters the funnel S and passes through the nip between the upper rollers 12, then down over one or the other of deflectors 15, 16 and into the nip between the frustoconical rollers 3-4 or 5-6 say through the pair 3-4 as shown. When one container is full and it is desired to break off the roving and switch it to the opposite pair of lower rollers 5-6 below which is positioned an empty container, the rod 12 is rotated either 3 manually or by any suitable automatic means (not shown) about its pivot 13 in the clockwise direction (as shown in FIG. 2 by the arrow 1) so that the horizontal rod portion 12:: strikes the roving (see FIG. 3); owing to the presence of the anvil surface 14, the roving snaps readily and cleanly as shown in FIG. 4.

As the rod 12 proceeds on its clockwise rotation, the leading section 10 of the unbroken part of the roving is now inserted in between the right-hand lower rollers 6, so as to assume the new path desired therefor (see FIG. 5).

Owing to the design and relative positioning of the rollers, described above, the roving will at all times follow a path of its own selection between the lower pair of rollers 3 and 4 (or 5 and 6). Thus, referring to FIG. 2, it will be seen that the path of the roving between the rollers 3 and 4 is such that the angle a formed by the roving 10 at the point P along the contact generatrix AB of the lower rollers 3-4 is substantially a right angle. Should the roving for any reason show a tendency to be displaced along said generatrix towards the base of the drustoconical rollers, i.e. towards point B, this would immediately result in an increase in its linear feed velocity and the roving would be tensioned. This in turn would cause an increase in the angle a formed by the roving relatively to the generatrix AB, and the roving would automatically be returned by the increased tension force acting on it to its initial position in which said angle is 90". Conversely, any tendency of the roving to be displaced upwards towards point A with a consequent decrease in the angle as shown at a would result in a decrease in linear velocity, a consequent decrease in tension, and an automatic return to the normal position P. Thus the-point P at which the linear velocity imparted to the roving is equal to the velocity imparted to it by the upper rollers 12 represents a position of stable equilibrium at which the roving is subjected neither to tension nor to compression.

A further advantage of the relative arrangement shown for the upper and lower pairs of rollers is that the roving is exposed to lateral compression in one plane between the upper rollers, and to a lateral compression in a plane normal to the first between the lower rollers, thereby imparting an improved final condition to the roving.

Thus the invention is seen to provide a simple and advantageous system for breaking a roving and simultaneously switching it from one to another desired path of travel, whereby the handling of roving will be greatly accelerated and manual manipulations reduced, with consequent saving in labour, and continuous output. 7

What is claimed is:

1. Rove handling device comprising a pair of first rollers defining a nip for receiving said rove therethrough, pairs of second rollers defining respective second nips for selectively receiving said rove therethrough at a point spaced from and beyond said first nip, said pair of first rollers rotating in opposite directions to feed the rove from said first towards said second rollers, and displaceable means engageable with said rove in the space between said first and second nips for breaking oi the rove and switching the path of travel thereof from one to another of said second nips. I V V 2. Rove handling device comprising a pair of first rollers defining a nipffor receiving the rove therethrough, at least two pairs of second rollers defining respective second nips each adapted for selectively receiving said rove therethrough at a point spaced from and beyond said first nip, said pair. of first rollers rotating in opposite directions to feed the rove from said first towards either of said second nips, deflector surfaces extending from a point within the space between the first and second nips to respective points beyond said second nips, a member displaceable within said space across the path of rove travel so as to break olf said rove and simultaneously switch the path of rove travel from one to the other of said deflector surfaces and from one to the other of said second mps.

3. Rove handling device comprising a pair of straight rollers defining a first nip for receiving the rove therethrough, at least two pairs of frustoconical rollers defining respective second nips each adapted for selectively receiving said rove therethrough at a point spaced from and beyond said first nip, deflector surfaces extending from a point within the space between said first and second nips to respective points beyond said second nips, said pair of straight rollers rotating in opposite directions to feed a rove from said first to either of said second nips and at predetermined angular rates such that the linear velocity of rove feed through said first nip will equal the linear velocity of rove feed through a second nip when said rove is engaged in a point of said second nip intermediate the length of said nip, and a member displaceable within said space across the path of rove feed for breaking off the rove and simultaneously switching the path of rove travel from one to another of said deflector surfaces and from one to another of said second nips.

4. Rove handling device comprising a pair of first rollers defining a first horizontal nip for receiving a rove therethrough, at least two pairs of second rollers defining respective second nips which are upwardly inclined and lie in a common vertical plane which is perpendicular to the vertical plane containing said first nip and each adapted for selectively receiving said rove therethrough at a point spaced from and beyond said first nip, deflector surfaces extending from a point ahead of, to respective points beyond said second nips, said pair of first rollers rotating in opposite directions and at corresponding angular rates to feed a rove from said first to either of said second nips at substantially constant tension, and a member displaceable across the path of rove feed between said first and second 'nips ahead of said first-mentioned point for thereby breaking 0d the rove and simultaneously switching the path of rove travel from one to another of said second nips.

5. The device claimed in claim 4 wherein said second rollers are frustoconical and said angular rates are such that the linear velocity imparted to the rove by said first rollers will equal the linear velocity imparted to the rove by said second rollers when the rove engages said second rollers intermediate the length thereof.

6. The device claimed in claim 4 wherein said first rollers are rotatable on horizontal axes and said second rollers are frustoconical and each pair thereof are ro-- tatable about upwardly inclined axes so that each of said second nips slants upwards toward the smaller ends of said frustoconical rollers.

7. The device claimed in claim 4 wherein said displaceable member comprises a bar pivoted about an axis generally parallel to the extent of said first nip and shaped to include a portion extending across the path of rove feed.

8. The device claimed in claim 4 wherein said deflector surfaces are connected at said point ahead of the breakage of the rove.

No references cited. 

1. ROVE HANDLING DEVICE COMPRISING A PAIR OF FIRST ROLLERS DEFINING A NIP FOR RECEIVING SAID ROVE THERETHROUGH, PAIRS OF SECOND ROLLERS DEFINING RESPECTIVE SECOND NIPS FOR SELECTIVELY RECEIVING SAID ROVE THERETHROUGH AT A POINT SPACED FROM AND BEYOND SAID FIRST NIP, SAID PAIR OF FIRST ROLLERS ROTATING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS TO FEED THE ROVE FROM SAID FIRST TOWARDS SAID SECOND ROLLERS, AND DISPLACEABLE MEANS ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID ROVE IN THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND NIPS FOR BREAKING OFF THE ROVE AND SWITCHING THE PATH OF TRAVEL THEREOF FROM ONE TO ANOTHER OF SAID SECOND NIPS. 